Turn Your Back
by Ushiko
Summary: BxS. Song fic to Linkin Park's "Faint". First attempted real fanfiction. Brad and Schuldich need to settle a lover's spat.


**Title:** Turn Your Back  
**Note:** One shot songfic to Linkin Park's "Faint" 

    Schuldich slowly picked his way through the penthouse, trying his best not to wake anyone up. He had gone out clubbing against Brad's direct order not to, and only now did he bother trying to be careful about it. Glancing down the hall he was relieved to see that the light in Brad's room was off. Relief flooding his senses, Schuldich carefully made his way to his own room, closing the door before turning on the light, his back to the room so the light wouldn't momentarily blind him.  
    "It was worth the effort." Schuldich froze at the voice behind him, not wanting to turn around and face his leader. "Schuldich." It was only his name, but behind it rested the firm command Schuldich knew all too well. Slowly turning around Schuldich placed his back firmly against the door and stared at Brad where he was sitting on the edge of Schuldich's bed.  
    "You said you were busy with work tonight." Schuldich commented dryly, his eyes distant as he watched his sometimes leader, sometimes lover watch him.  
    "I was, but I told you not to go out tonight." Brad rose, his hands in his pockets as he walked towards Schuldich, who remained frozen in place.  
    "I was lonely without you." Schuldich stared at Brad, who just shook his head.  
    "You couldn't last one more night without me?" Brad pulled his hand out of his pocket to caress Schuldich's face. "Still…" Quickly he withdrew his hand, only to slap Schuldich so hard that the latter fell sideways, landing on the floor with a loud thump that was muffled by the carpet. Schuldich looked up at Brad, his hand grasping the side of his face as the pain started to settle in. His eyes were startled, shocked, and horrified. Brad had never hit him before, and it overwhelmed Schuldich's senses. 

_I am a little bit of loneliness a little bit of disregard  
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars_

    Brad knelt next to Schuldich, who scrambled away from him towards the other end of the room. Slowly Brad rose and turned to lean his back against the door like Schuldich had a few moments before. "Schu, listen to me. I can't keep letting you get away with stuff just because we're lovers. If you disobey me like the others, then I'll have to discipline you like the others as well."  
    Schuldich just shook his head, the initial shock disappearing and being replaced by a now almost overwhelming sense of anger. "But that's not how it works. I don't disobey you for my own pleasure! I don't deliberately disobey you and I don't go out of my way to make a big deal out of it!"  
    "Then what do you call tonight where I specifically told you not to go out and you **went out anyway**?" Brad's eyes narrowed, challenging Schuldich to fight against him.  
    "You've been 'busy' every night for the past month, Brad, what the hell did you want me to do without you?" Schuldich fought not to raise his voice, but he was slowly losing the battle against himself.  
    "So you go out and look for a whore to satisfy you, is that it?" Brad had long since lost the battle to keep his voice down and was almost yelling across the room at Schuldich.  
    "I never said that and you know it!" Schuldich finally lost control, his voice rising with his anger. "I haven't slept with any whore, I haven't slept with anyone, and that's the point!"  
    "You expect me to believe that when you deliberately disobey me and go clubbing?" Brad started to cross the room towards Schuldich, but Schuldich's words stopped him in his tracks.  
    "Damn it Brad, I love you, not some whore at the club, can't you **see that**?" Schuldich fought back sudden tears that he would never allow to fall as he went on. "You can see the future and everything you need to see, but you can't see that I love **you**?" 

_I am what I want you to want what I want you to feel  
But it's like no matter what I do, I can't convince you, to just believe  
this is real_

    "Schu…" Brad stopped halfway across the room just staring at Schuldich. He knew the other would never lie to him about something like this, and he fully believed Schuldich, but he would never be able to admit to something like that. Slowly Brad shook his head and left the room, closing the door without even looking back. For a moment Schuldich just stood there dumbfounded before he crumbled onto his bed, sinking into its coldness.  
    Schuldich knew that Brad loved him, but the arguments, they always ended like this. They always ended with them yelling and Brad leaving him alone to rot with guilt. And for some reason, Schuldich always let him. With a single tear tracing a crooked line down Schuldich's face, he slowly fell asleep. 

_So I let go, watching you, turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I got_

* * * * *

    Schuldich woke up early despite the night before. He had tossed and turned all night, begging for sleep and yet receiving next to none. Quickly he changed his clothes from the ones he had had on the night before to the ones he would wear today, yet ditched the thought of wearing a shirt around the penthouse, since no one would care and he did it all the time anyway.  
    Then he remembered the night before, the fight he had had with Brad, and the fact that Brad had slapped him registered in his mind. Stalking out of his room and down the hall, Schuldich ignored everyone in the living room and headed straight for the bathroom. He had to know if there was a bruise.  
    Schuldich muttered German curses under his breath as he stared at his face in the mirror. The left side of his face was a nicely distorted colour of purplish blue, while the other side was just fine. Aggravation in each of his steps, Schuldich managed his way back to the living room where everyone was.  
    Nagi looked up from the early news that he was watching, and Farferello actually looked up from where he was sharpening his knives. Nagi's eyes widened slightly at the sight of the red head in such a perturbed state already this morning, and finally summed up the courage to mutter a mere, "Are you okay Schu?"  
    Schuldich turned to Nagi, nodding slightly, before turning to look at Brad, who was mindlessly reading the paper, not even bothering to acknowledge the telepath. Schuldich glared at the American before turning and heading off to the kitchen, slamming the dishes around as he made himself breakfast. 

_I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me_

    "Schu, will you please stop banging everything around?" Brad slowly entered the kitchen, picking up the pot of coffee and refilling his mug. "It's rather annoying this early in the morning."  
    "Crawford, will you just shut up?" Schuldich snapped, not bothering to even turn around and face the other.  
    "We have a mission tonight." Completely ignoring Schuldich's comment, Brad left the room, only seconds before a pan smashed into the wall where he had been standing. 

_I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal this damage anymore_

    Flopping onto the couch, Schuldich sighed audibly. He had gotten most of his pent up anger out of his system earlier in the day, and what he hadn't he would be sure to waste on the mission tonight.  
    "This mission is basically like all the others Estet has us do anymore." Brad glanced at each of them in turn, his sight lingering on Schuldich, who made sure not to hint in the slightest about his current train of thought.  
    "Is this another drug lord?" Nagi looked up from his computer long enough for Brad to nod in agreement.  
    "As usual we have been assigned to protect them until the transaction is complete." Settling back in his chair a bit Brad continued. "The chances of anything going wrong are slim to none. I doubt Weiß will even show up to this."  
    "Then why are we going?" Schuldich snapped, the thought of not getting to play with anyone annoying his senses.  
    "Because there is still a chance that they might, and as long as there is a chance, we will go." Brad retorted, as if it was a given, and Schuldich growled back quietly, turning to stare at the wall instead of their leader. "Schuldich, pay attention to me." 

_Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

    "Why should I, Brad?" Schuldich leaned forward, eyes staring directly at Brad and Brad alone. "Do tell; I want to hear this."  
    "Both of you stop it." Nagi attempted to intercept the approaching fight, but it was of no use.  
    "Because, _Mastermind_, I am your leader and I am currently briefing you on the mission." Crawford's eyes narrowed and held threatening promises of tomorrow in them as he dared Schuldich to fight back.  
    "Stop it!" Suddenly Nagi stood up, so forcefully that the chair that he had been sitting in fell backwards and landed on the ground with a loud crash. His eyes were narrowed and his hands were wrapped into tight fists. "I've had it with you two constantly bickering at each other. Just shut up and get over it already! Do you know how many nights I go without sleep because you two can't stop yelling at each other long enough to consider the other people in this house?" Nagi was out right yelling at the two, and Farferello just sat back and smiled at him. They were both so fed up with them right now that he wouldn't even comment on the youngest member's sudden outburst.  
    "I'll finish the briefing on the way, everyone just get ready and stay away from my office." With that Crawford got up and stalked off to his office without another word.  
    Turning to Nagi, Schuldich arched his eyebrow. "Never thought you had it in you kid. That was impressive."  
    "Shut up Schuldich, just shut up." 

* * * * *

    Schuldich glanced at Crawford out of the corner of his eye. He had a plan, but his first priority was to make sure the mission was accomplished, and then he could go on with his second plan.  
    Nagi stared at Schuldich for a moment before shaking his head. "Look out you guys, Mastermind is distracted."  
    "Shut up Prodigy, and mind your own business, or else I'll figure out what's been going on in that head of yours lately." Schuldich threatened quietly, his confidence slipping away at the younger boy's warning to the others.  
    "You wouldn't dare." Nagi growled back, knowing full well that Schuldich would if he felt he needed to.  
    "Not tonight Prodigy, not tonight." Schuldich just shook his head and followed Crawford after their client. 

_I am a little bit insecure a little unconfident  
Cause you don't understand  
I do what I can  
but sometimes I don't make sense_

    "Mastermind, where are you?" Brad called out into the sudden darkness. Someone had turned off the lights in the warehouse where the drug lord had currently been making his exchange. There was only one likely answer.  
    "Weiß…" Schuldich ignored Crawford's sudden interest in his whereabouts and reached out with his mind towards the assassins he knew were close by. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty, come out and play…"  
    Distracted beyond concentration by the sudden onslaught of lights and the sound of Nagi's panicked voice, Schuldich forgot his mind games and quickly drew his pistols. "Nagi?" Looking around the suddenly empty warehouse Schuldich's eyes locked with Brad's, and for a moment they both just stared at each other, a sense of understanding flooding between them. Wherever Nagi was, so was Farferello. Farferello wouldn't let anything happen to Nagi, so all they had to do was keep the drug lord alive long enough and then they could go out and find the other two.  
    "It's done." The drug lord snapped after a minute, folding up his laptop and turning to the remaining two assassins. "Get me out of here." Brad took a quick glance around the room before leading the two towards the entrance they had come in at. Upon reaching the get away car Brad turned to Schuldich quickly.  
    "Mastermind, go with him and make sure he gets back safely. I'm going to go find Berserker and Prodigy."  
    "Oracle wait, I have to talk to you-" Schuldich started his protest but Brad quickly cut him off.  
    "Save it for later, just listen to me for once and get him the hell out of here." Quickly Brad turned away and ran back towards the warehouse, leaving Schuldich alone with the drug lord and the get away car. Cursing under his breath in German Schuldich climbed into the car after the drug lord. 

_I am what you never wanna say but I've never had a doubt  
It's like no matter what I do I can't convince you for once just to hear me out  
So I let go watching you turn your back like you always do_

    The rest of the night went smoothly. Crawford found the others and they all ended up at the penthouse before dawn, so Crawford had quickly demanded that they all go straight to bed. Nagi was quite shaken from the whole ordeal, so everyone just agreed for his sake.  
    After close to an hour of tossing and turning and not being able to fall asleep, Schuldich finally got up, cursing under his breath in German as he stumbled wearily down the hallway towards Brad's room. Maybe the American had forgotten everything and it would all be okay. Right.  
    "Brad, you still awake?" Schuldich stuck his head into the American's room and looked around at the darkness.  
    "Yes I am Schuldich, what do you need?" Brad's voice cut through the void emptiness in the room full of irritation.  
    "I can't sleep." Schuldich bit his lip, not sure how Brad would react.  
    "Go back to bed Schuldich." Schuldich listened to Brad's words as the leader turned in the bed, more than likely turning away from Schuldich, who quietly nodded and headed back to his own room to attempt to sleep some. 

_Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here 'cause you're all that I've got_

    The morning came too early for Schuldich, and another near sleepless night settled into his body as he began to get up and go about his day. Lazily he pulled on some pants, not bothering with a shirt. It was the day after a mission; no one really cared enough or had enough strength to care.  
    "Morning Nagi." Schuldich muttered sleepily as he wandered into the kitchen to find some breakfast. The teen just nodded and continued eating whatever it was he had made that morning for himself.  
    "When you're done eating and getting ready for the day, Brad wants to talk to you." Nagi looked over his shoulder at Schuldich. "He seemed tense. Whatever you did, you really messed up this time."  
    "What do you mean, **I** messed up?" Schuldich turned to Nagi quickly, a few strands of fire red hair dangling in his face so that he had to brush them aside.  
    "Admit it, you screwed something up. That's how it always happens." Nagi turned back to his food and resumed eating.  
    "Now you listen here, just because we get in a fight doesn't mean it was my fault, for all you know, this could be about something that happened during the mission while you were- wherever you were."  
    "Whatever." 

_No  
Hear me out now  
You're gonna listen to me, like it or not  
Right now_

    "No!" Schuldich snapped suddenly, and the teen turned around in his chair to look at his older team member. "I'm not done yet!"  
    "Schu, I get the point. You just don't want to be wrong." Nagi shrugged as he stood up, gathering his dishes in his hands. "That's fine, no one really wants to admit they were wrong or they messed something up."  
    "How do you know he didn't mess up? How do you know he didn't screw up and he's the one about to apologize to me?" Grabbing Nagi by the shoulder Schuldich quickly turned him around so they stood as face to face as they could get despite their obvious height difference.  
    "Unhand him Schuldich." Brad's voice came from the doorway and Schuldich quickly snapped something in German to the teen before letting go of him and turning to face Brad.  
    "I heard you wanted to see me." Taking three steps put Schuldich smirking up at Brad, completely invading his personal space like no other.  
    "Yes, but not here." Fighting the inner battle with himself not to take a step back, Brad watched as Nagi quickly took the cue and left the kitchen.  
    "Well that's just too bad." Schuldich continued smirking as he leaned closer to Brad. "Because I'm here, and I want to talk to you."  
    "Then let's take it to my office at least, so the others won't hear us." Brad finally lost his battle and took a step away from Schuldich, who only grinned in response.  
    "What if I want to talk here?" Attempting to press his luck just one more time, Schuldich closed the gap between himself and Brad, who habitually licked his lips and then quickly turned away.  
    "We need to talk in private. I highly doubt this is something you want the others hearing." Brad was trying to play cool, but he could only handle the closeness a couple more minutes. If Schuldich would have had a shirt on, it would have been that much easier to resist. But as it was, he didn't, and thus, was incredibly difficult to resist.  
    Schuldich pretended to think about it for a few more seconds just to aggravate Brad, and then finally nodded. "Fine, you win." Relieved by his answer, Brad quickly turned and left the kitchen, heading off towards his office. Of course, Schuldich being himself, he just had to mingle around a while and then go to the office.  
    "Now then," Schuldich quietly closed the office door behind himself, turning to face Brad, who sat behind his desk. "Whatever could this be about?"  
    "We have to settle our bickering, at least for Farf and Nagi's sakes." Brad placed his intertwined hands on top of the desk as he took a deep breath.  
    "No Brad, you have to settle our bickering."  
    "Schuldich-" 

_Hear me out now  
You're gonna listen to me, like it or not  
Right now_

    "No!" Schuldich snapped suddenly, cutting off Brad as he stalking towards the desk. "You're going to listen to me, and you're going to listen to be right now." Schuldich pressed his hands flat against the opposite end of the desk as he stared at Brad, daring him to say otherwise. Brad just nodded, and Schuldich continued. "You know damn well I didn't cheat on you, but you're too arrogant to admit it to me, aren't you?"  
    "That's not true. How do I know that you didn't cheat on me?" Brad's hands gripped each other tighter, turning his hands a faint white.  
    "Because Brad, we're supposed to trust each other, love each other, not cheat on each other. Besides," Schuldich smiled faintly. "You know I would never cheat on you. It might seem like something I would do, but not to you. I would never jeopardize our relationship like **that**."  
    "But you would jeopardize it for something else?" Brad smiled slightly and Schuldich relaxed a bit.  
    "You know that's not what I meant." Schuldich smiled as Brad chuckled. "You're taking advantage of this situation you know."  
    Standing up slowly, Brad made his way across the room past Schuldich, who turned around and sat on the deck. Schuldich watched as Brad searched through some papers, before finally pulling out a file and heading back to sit behind his desk. "If we're done, I have work to do." Brad looked up at Schuldich, who remained sitting on the desk.  
    "That's it?"  
    "You wanted more? We've talked it over; we'll go back to how things were." 

_I can't feel the way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

    "Now hold on just one minute." Schuldich hopped off the desk and spun around to face Brad. "That isn't it. We never settled anything."  
    "Was there anything to settle?" Shuffling some papers around, Brad didn't even bother to look up.  
    "Yes, there was actually." Circling the desk Schuldich quickly sat down on Brad's lap, putting them face to face, and at the same time pinning Brad to the chair so he couldn't ignore Schuldich. No, there was virtually no way to ignore Schuldich in the current position. "We were discussing trust." Brad turned away, but Schuldich quickly grabbed his face and made him turn back to face him. "We were discussing how not to ignore me."  
    "Schuldich, seriously, I believe you. Can I please get back to my work now?" Brad was finding it rather difficult to concentrate on anything with Schuldich sitting in his lap.  
    "Not yet. I don't think you really trust me. How can we work this out if you don't trust me?" Schuldich wrapped his arms around Brad's neck, slightly disappointed that the other had yet to move his hands from where they rested on the chair's arms.  
    "Schu…" Brad sighed and finally wrapped his arms around Schuldich's waist, pulling his younger teammate closer. "Schu, I'm sorry, okay? I never doubted you, I just had to hear it from you and once I got that from you, I should have been satisfied." There was a long pause before Schuldich smirked slightly.  
    "You forgot one thing."  
    "I'm sorry I hit you." Brad gently kissed Schuldich, who smirked at his lover. "I'm sorry," Brad continued as he stared into Schuldich's eyes. "That I marred your beautiful face, that I neglected you as a lover for an entire month, and then didn't believe your truths." 

_I can't feel  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

    Schuldich laid a quick kiss on Brad's lips before getting up and walking back to the other side of the desk. "I guess I'll leave you to your work then for now." Halfway across the room Schuldich turned around. He had to hear it once more. "You really believe me?"  
    "With all my heart, yes Schu, I do." Brad responded, watching as Schuldich smirked and walked towards the door. Schuldich slowly opened the door, but as he was halfway out he turned around, his hand still on the doorknob, and smirked at Brad.  
    "I'm glad to hear that." Schuldich waited until Brad looked up at him, curiosity getting the better of him. "Because," Schuldich continued as he stepped out of the room, slowly closing the door. "I did sleep with Balinese."  
    Brad sat at his desk for a moment staring dumbfounded at the closed door to his office before everything settled in. "Schuldich," Rising from his desk Brad made his way hastily towards the door, opening it quickly. "Schuldich, get back here!" Receiving no reply from the figure exiting the penthouse, Brad stalked after him. "Don't turn your back on me Schuldich, I won't be ignored!"  
    Smirking, Schuldich got into his car and headed for the closest club. 

_Time won't heal  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

**Note:** ^^; There you have it, my first attempt at **real** fanfiction. Review? 


End file.
